


Moments and Promises

by Forsake_Seer_XIV



Series: Epiphany [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Epiphanies, Fluff, Light Angst, Noodle Dragons, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forsake_Seer_XIV/pseuds/Forsake_Seer_XIV
Summary: A Genji-centered, loosely connected headcannon!drabble detailing his time in Nepal. Featuring an OC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Slow on updating, but I do have it almost finished.

When he first came here, he could easily say that it was to recenter himself, to take himself away from those that he felt a large amount of  _hate_ and  _rage_ that seemed to just boil beneath his skin at the thing that he had  _become_ and at the people that had  _made_  this way.

When he first came here, he had felt eyes upon his person. Some part of him had expected that it. It only made sense, after all, to have some way of being notified of a stranger coming up to one’s front door and then wanting to make sure that said stranger did not mean ill intent.

When he first came here, he had few expectations of those that lived there. He had been introduced to Tekhartha Mondatta and his brother Tekhartha Zenyatta. He had expected to see Omnics. He had not expected to see the small child that had peered out at him from behind Tekhartha Mondatta’s leg, clinging to the Omnic’s thick white robes. Large dark eyes had stared at him in a way that raised both his pity…and the hairs behind his neck.

When he had first asked about the child, it had been while he had been meditating with Tekhartha Zenyatta in one of the open rooms and he had seen Tekhartha Mondatta and the child had walked past their area and had seemed to be in deep conversation.

_“I have no doubts that you were curious of her. However, I cannot tell you much, Student. The only thing I can say is that one day my brother left this place as if in a hurry, and when he came back he had the child in his arms and she could barely move under her head under her own power. A few days later with some Omnic technology, and she was able to move about. There are a few stutters to her movements, but in all appearances, she seems to have adjusted to it.”_

When he first truly got curious about the child, Genji did not know, only that it seemed that whenever neither of their Masters were around, he could always feel her eyes upon him. It had long since lost the sensation that made him reach for his sword, but it still had just enough of  _something_  to it that always made him turn to meet her gaze. After a few moments, she would always break the connection and slip away.

When she had first spoken to him, Genji had been startled to the point that he actually dropped his cup of tea. He and his Master had been enjoying a relaxing cup of tea with Tekhartha Mondatta and his student. The tea, of course, had only been for the two humans. The only thing Genji could say about it all was that he was simply glad that he hadn’t been in the middle of  _swallowing_  said tea when she had spoken.

 _“Can you pass the sugar?”_ It had been said so suddenly with such maturity and certainty, along with a rather obvious rasp that Genji had thought someone else had entered the room without him being aware of it and he had dropped his cup of tea. When he had focused back on the situation, he had to blink a few times at the bland look he was given by the child and had flushed in embarrassment when he realized that it had been  _her_  who had spoken while pointing to the small bowl of sugar practically at his knee.

 _“Ah, I see you have spoken at last to our youngest member.”_  Genji could still hear the amusement in Tekhartha Mondatta’s voice, even as he turned his head and attention to the child.  _“And it has only been five months since he joined us. I am gladdened by your progress.”_ Those words had fully sparked something in Genji, even more so when the child had turned her head to look at her Master and he had  _seen_  the tell-tale glint of cybernetics on the back of her neck. 

And that had been the first of many quick moments between them that had, eventually, settled into thoughtful conversations.

Genji had never asked about her past. The closest he had even gotten had been her name, for he had never actually heard anyone say her name. She had give him a slight quirk of her lips, her version of a smile, something that Genji always felt pride in being able to draw out of her - for no child should be  _this_  solemn and grim and  _mature_  -  her eyes lighting up and warming before she had answered.  _“I had a name before I came here, but I couldn’t remember it. So Master ‘datta gave me a new one. Gwawratta.”_

And that had been as far as his digging had gone. Why ask her to remember a past that he could, quite clearly see, had left more than it’s fair share of scars? Silvery with time, but large and vivid enough that he could still see them or see hints of them if he watched closely enough.

However, had he known what making a simple promise would have resulted in, he probably would have made himself a bit clearer.

When Genji saw her on that particular evening, she had been lounging in one of the trees and waiting for him. It took only a few moments before he was there beside her as they lounged in the tree as if they were both little more than young teenagers with nothing better to do with their time before they waited for dinner.

“That cloud looks like a dragon.” The suddenness of her voice still had the ability to surprise him, but unlike that first time, the rasp was barely there…or at least, not as distinctive. With his eyes following her arm to the sky, Genji stared at the cloud in question and gave a soft hum.

“If the dragon were perhaps either very old or trying to twist himself into a knot.” Genji couldn’t help but touch his stomach, where flesh no longer existed, and couldn’t help but mourn the loss of the physical representation of his companion.

“A dragon is a dragon, they can’t be old or young because then they wouldn’t be a dragon.” Lifting his head, Genji couldn’t help but smile down at Gwawratta, or Gwawr as he often called her. She was staring at him now, but unlike all the other times, this time was with a boredly thoughtful look, as if she were trying to figure something out but didn’t want to put any true effort into it.

“I have seen dragons be both old and young, Gwawr. They are still very much a dragon.” And then the light entered her eyes and Genji knew that he would be having a rather long night ahead of him.

Gwawratta sat up, straddling the branch they were both on and curled her legs under it, her hands gripped it almost casually, but Genji knew that her grip was always firm. It was her expression, though, that made him only slightly wary. “Dragons aren’t real though,” she began, curiosity was the open expression, but in her eyes there was such  _focus_  that Genji couldn’t help but feel like a mouse beneath the gaze of a hawk.

“I am a Shimada. Dragons are real to those of Shimada blood.” It was amusing to watch her try and figure out her next words, because they both knew that her throat could only say so much at any given moment, regardless of the force or amount of air she used.

“Can you show me?” Were the careful words she had picked, her eyes fixing on him with a multitude of things that Genji doubted he’d be able to list them all or even name them accurately.

“Yes, but not tonight. My companion can be rather loud, and I do not wish to disturb the others.” He hadn’t expected her expression to close as much as it had or for her shoulders to just slightly slump. 

“Then when?” Ah, now he understood. Genji had, over the months, learned that Gwawratta did not come from a happy or decent place, and his wording had probably implied that he did not  _intend_  to show her his companion.

Smiling, Genji reached over - carefully, slowly, always making sure that she could see the motion - and ruffled her dark hair, laughing at the scowl she directed at him. “In the morning.”

He really should have known better when he saw the excited grin.


	2. Chapter 2

Genji’s first clue that something was amiss was when he woke to the feel of something poking his human arm.

Repeatedly.

With his eyes still closed, Genji simply reached over and lightly swatted at the offending hand. He could still feel his body telling him to rest some more, and he was in full agreement. He might have muttered something while he did so, but for now he settled for rolling over onto his side and dragging his blanket up a little higher.

A huff of air sounded somewhere behind him now before his bed lifted a bit, notifying him that whoever had been poking him had gotten off his bed and would, hopefully, be leaving him to sleep.

Such was not the case.

He heard the distinctive slap of bare feet against the floor and for a moment he believed himself back in Hanamura, but the very feel of the air told him that he was in Nepal. Instead, he felt someone stop near his head. “Genji! Genji! Gen! Gen! GenGenGenGenGenGenGenGen _GenGenGen_!” The poking was back and he _knew_ that voice.

Though it took him a while to realize it was, in fact, Gwawratta. He had never heard her sound so…

Well, the only thing he could say for now is that she was excited. Opening his eyes, Genji blinked a few times at the dark figure that was all but hovering over him while, still, poking him.

“Gwawr, what are you doing?” He might be somewhat awake now, but he was still tired and still wished for the bliss of sleep. Lifting his head slightly, he looked over towards the window and blinked again. “What _time_ is it?” There was no sun peeking over the mountain tops. The lights from the scattered lanterns were still lit and still very easily visible. Something that would _not_ happen if it were day.

“Early. Get up.” And now she was tugging at him, trying desperately to _physically_ get him out of his warm bed.

Watching her for a few moments, Genji gave a soft grunt and then dropped back onto his bed. “No.” Just to make his point clear, he rolled over onto his other side and closed his eyes again. “Go back to bed, Gwawr.”

A low raspy growl sounded behind him and Genji couldn’t help but mentally sigh as he felt his bed dip again. “No. Up!” And now she was shaking his shoulder hard enough that his shoulder started to protest.

Sighing softly through his nose, Genji waited, hoping that his next idea would work. When he felt her lean forward in preparation for another rough shake, Genji quickly rolled, his arm coming up and wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him and down onto the bed. A surprised and startled gargled choking sound along with a very stiff form against his was all that he got in response. “Sleep, Gwawr. It’s too early for whatever you have planned.” Genji muttered out, eyes closing as he mentally thanked both his brother and his parents for showing him how effective this particular tactic was.

When she didn’t thrash against him, Genji sighed softly and started to relax. Right when he felt himself start to drift towards sleep, he felt Gwawratta start to move and shift, and it was enough to make him want to cry tears of frustration.

“Up. Get up.” Gwawr hissed out at him as she shifted almost angrily against him. A low growl was the only response that he gave her, keeping his arm tight around her. “Come _on_!” If he wasn’t so frustrated with her and her desire to wake him up, he would have found her whining to be rather cute.

“ _No_ , Gwawr. Go to sleep.”

“ _No_ , GenGen. Get _up_!”

The first kick surprised him enough that he let out a grunt. The second had him aware that, even through the blanket, she had cold feet. The third made him give up in keeping her _in_ the bed and had him rolling over, hoping that she would leave him be.

It was not to be.

The kicking didn’t hurt, but it was strong enough that he found himself moving with it in order to avoid the next one.

He really should have known better.

The next kick was from both feet and this time he found himself falling. Genji yelped more from the sudden feel of _cold_ than from the impact of hitting the floor. Wide awake now, he couldn’t help but turn and found himself staring up at a cheerful looking Gwawratta. “Ache ow?” She cheerfully chirped out at him.

Genji was not ashamed to admit that it took him a few moments to translate that into a heavily accented ‘awake now?’. Sighing heavily, Genji laid down on the floor and turned his attention to the ceiling. “Yes, Gwawr, I’m awake.”

He had far more respect for Hanzo now. This was the thought that circled around his head, even as Gwawratta cheered and scrambled off his bed, moving quickly and grabbed his hand before trying to pull him to his feet.

Perhaps if he humored her now, she’d let him get back to bed once all this was done…and again, Genji had to wonder how many times Hanzo had thought the same thing whenever Genji had done something similar to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Outside was only slightly colder than the inside, and at this point in his time here in Nepal, Genji no longer noticed the temperature difference. What he did notice was that Gwawratta had, in her excitement and eagerness to wake him up, she had forgotten to wear shoes.

Sighing softly to himself, Genji simply allowed her to drag him towards… if his mental map of Shambali was correct, then they were heading towards one of the larger courtyards that often doubled as a training yard. Why they needed to be in the training yard before the sun had even peeked up over the smallest of the mountain tops he hadn’t the slightest clue, and even now he found himself mourning the loss of his bed.

He was only vaguely aware that Gwawratta was still talking, but it was in that fast, excited speak that only children seemed capable of having and producing that he couldn’t figure out what she was saying. Just trying to focus on what she was saying often left his head and mind reeling.

Had his brother felt like this on the few occasions Genji had managed to actually convince him to leave his bed for some bit of childish fun? If it was, he would have to offer a great many apologizes.

“Gwawratta? Young Genji? It is early.” The deep mechanical voice of Tekhartha Mondatta reached his ears and Genji could have cheered. If Tekhartha Mondatta was here, Gwawratta was likely to let Genji go back to bed. 

“Tekhartha Mondatta,” Genji greeted with a slight nod of his head, even as he heard Gwawratta burst out into excited greeting while urgently tugging at his arm as if to remind Genji that they still had something to do and that she was getting impatient.

Tekhartha Mondatta tilted his head slightly as he took them both in. After a few moments he turned his head and attention to Gwawratta, and apparently took pity on Genji because he asked the one thing that the young ninja himself wanted to know. “Young one, what are you up to this early?”

A quick splatter of _noise_ and exaggerated movement erupted from Gwawratta and Genji couldn’t help but twitch and jerk. Oh he knew that that Gwawratta was making _words_ but they were spoken so _quickly_ that he was reminded of his former Commander when the man was furious enough to dissolve into full Spanish.

An amused hum radiated from the Omnic before them and Tekhartha Mondatta walked forward and reached out, placing his hand on top of Gwawratta’s head. 

The reaction was instantaneous and surprising enough that Genji couldn’t help but just _stare_.

The moment the hand had pressed against the top of her head, Gwawratta had stilled. Completely. Her hands and arms were stopped in one of her many exaggerated motions, her face still had the excited and eager expression she had been wearing after successfully shoving Genji out of his own bed, but she was still and silent. 

“Master, forgive my rudeness, but why are _you_ awake at this hour?” Tekhartha Mondatta’s attention then returned to Genji, but his hand did not lift from Gwawratta’s head, and her expression twisted into open impatience that only a child seemed capable of wearing.

“As an Omnic, I do not require much sleep. However, for the sake of making sure that Gwawratta adapted to normalcy here, we have all taken up a polyphasic schedule.” And now Genji understood why Gwawratta seemed to be so energetic. “I take it that such is not normal among humans.” It might have sounded like a statement, but Genji understood that it was more of a question and, with a sigh, shook his head.

“No, especially not among children.” Genji noticed that Tekhartha Mondatta was moving his fingers just slightly and it took a few moments before he understood. It was an act to put Gwawratta at ease, to remind her that they were stil aware she was there while also carrying on their conversation. It was such an action that Genji was used to seeing between parent and child that he was…actually a bit embarrassed to have noticed it at all. “What was it that she said?”

And now he truly felt embarrassed at the sudden wave of amusement he felt from Tekhartha Mondatta. “She said that you promised to show her something ‘in the morning’, that it is ‘morning now’, and that she had to work rather hard to wake you.”

“Promise? What did I -?” Even as he said it, he could see Gwawratta wilting, her expression closing off, and the memory of what it was that he had promised came back to him. “Oh!” He turned his full attention to Gwawratta, could see that she was guarded now and Genji felt his insides twist and turn.

Kneeling so that he was eye level with her, Genji placed his hand on her shoulder and felt himself keen in sorrow when he felt her tense at his touch. “Perhaps I should have been clearer when I said ‘in the morning’.” He tried to make it clear that he wasn’t upset, but how could he not be?

How could he not be upset when, through his own mistake, had caused her to perhaps not sleep at all for the past few hours? How could he not be upset when she seemed to think that he would dare to strike her? Even if they were alone and he had realized what it was that had her so excited and why they were up and about before the _sun_ , he would not have struck her.

For the first time since arriving here, he felt anger on someone else’s behalf. 

Clamping down on his temper, Genji grinned at her in the way that he used to, back before he and Hanzo had fought and he had become what he now saw in the mirror. “I promised you, did I not?”

And he felt her hope and happiness more than he saw it. Felt the way she now tensed in eagerness and even felt the rumble of repressed laughter and trembled with renewed and repressed energy.

It made his heart _ache_ to know that such a simple thing could make her so happy.

Standing to his full height, Genji looked about their current location and had to nod. While not as big as he would have liked, the area should be big enough to house his companion at his full size.

Even as tired as he was, Genji had still managed to maintain enough coherency to grab his Ryuu-Ichimonji and, now feeling the eagerness all but _rolling_ off of Gwawratta, he unsheathed it, the matching eagerness from his companion rushed towards the blade even as he shouted out the command phrase that would summon it: “Ryuujin no ken wo kurae!”

There had been the expected flash of green, the roar inside his mind as his dragon separated from him and became well and truly _real_ …and yet…he blinked dumbfoundedly at the decidedly _lack_ of ‘large, ominous, majestic, flying, fire-breathing’ reptile. It took a few moments before he heard the familiar sound of claws on concrete…only…

Blinking slowly, Genji directed his gaze _down_ , and heard Gwawratta pad up to his side, her form radiating nothing as she stared down at the rather _cute_ and _tiny_ form his companion had taken.

Speaking of him, his companion looked up at him, confusion clear in it’s eyes as he walked around in circles, trying to adjust and get used to being so… _small_.

“I apologize, this is not his -” Genji found his apology largely interrupted at the sudden lunge that Gwawratta made for his dragon and the sudden, childishly happy scream she let out that he did not need Tekhartha Mondatta to translate in order for him to understand.

“NOODLE!!!” And with that, she had his companion in her arms and laughing - actually, it sounded more like a stuttering cackle, considering her rasp and throat - and then she was off, taking his dragon…somewhere.

Hopefully it was just to find something along the lines of a stick or one of Tekhartha Zenyatta’s orbs and not to find a few loose scraps of cloth to dress up his companion in.

He felt more than heard Tekhartha Mondatta step up beside him, and he didn’t have to look to know that they were both watching where Gwawratta had disappeared to.

“You have questions about her. Some of them I will answer, but most I will not.” Genji nodded, understanding what it was that the Omnic beside him _wasn’t_ saying.

Whatever it was that he told Genji, it was to remain between the two of them, that Gwawratta was to never know what was exchanged between them. For her, ignorance would be bliss.


End file.
